


Quadrants

by PrinnyRamza



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: But not enough for a crossover tag, F/F, F/M, Homestuck References, Homestuck Style Shipping, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2018-09-12
Packaged: 2018-12-08 00:01:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11634702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinnyRamza/pseuds/PrinnyRamza
Summary: It all started when Star found a book on alien romance.





	1. The Set Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This first chapter is more or less just Star explaining alien romance to a select group of her friends.

In all honesty Marco had no idea where things went from the average variety type of weird to the super ‘have no idea how to explain” bland of weird that he is life was currently drenched in. 

It all started one afternoon, his best friend Star Butterfly was belly down, feet up on his bed reading a book of some kind while he was at his computer desk streaming an old martial arts flick. Suddenly the blond princess of an otherworldly dimension shot up, clutching the journal to her chest and giggling rhythmically as she fled back to the region of her room. 

Actually hold on, now that he thought about that last sentence: It was probably then where things got strange.

It was kind of a red flag in retrospect, should’ve followed that up instead of finishing off that old Mackie Hand film that he already watched a dozen times over. Could’ve saved himself a lot of trouble if he only had distracted her with something. Probably food, Star had adventurous tastebuds and any new type of meal as a surefire way to get her attention.

It would’ve save him trouble in the long run because it wasn’t even a week later when there was a ring at the doorbell. Diaz thought that maybe it was a package being delivered. Something they needed to be signed because he wasn’t expecting company. Hell, he wasn’t even sure that he, Alphonso and Ferg really even hung out these days. He probably should call them one of these days.

He open the door and came face to face with his- well he wasn’t sure if he could call her his girlfriend. He would like to but well he’ll have to change his online social status and she’ll have to do the same and that is a lot of pressure to put on a man. Relax Diaz.

The matter was that Jackie Lynn was at his door and she didn’t call him about coming over. At least he didn’t think she did. He didn’t forget a date or something. It’s not like he could just play it off if he did. He was still wearing his usual red hoodie and while he had the luck to wear deodorant today it was some generic brand, because really generic products are just as good as that brand stuff, but still he wanted to impress when he was around Jackie so he bought that stuff anyway. 

“Hey dude, sorry for the short notice. Star invited us over.” Jackie smiled in ignorance of whatever internal struggle that he was having, “She must’ve wanted a girls’ night really bad or something.”

“No problem. I mean your house is my house.” wait did that sound weird? “That isn’t to say that you actually own it or are on the lease or something. Just that you can come in whenever.” 

Reel it back a bit Diaz, “That is to say ‘if you want to’ and you don’t have to feel pressure to visit if you don’t. Um, know what i mean?” 

He frowned “Wait, we?”

He tilted his head and saw, standing right behind the girl of his dreams was the girl of his nightmares: Janna. “Hello Diaz.”

Sigh, “Hey Janna,” wait since when did she ever use the front door?

“Hey since when do you ever use the front door?” Good job Marco, said that without sounding too afraid of her. 

“Since Thomas here wanted to be a killjoy.” she gave her blonde a playful glare as she stood to her side and received a counter attack in the form of a tongue sticking out at her. 

“Hey girls.” Star held a high voice as she descended the stairs in two hops. 

Marco grabbed the princess and turned her around so that his mouth was away from the guest, “Star,” he said in a hush tone, “Why didn’t you tell me that Jackie was going to be here.”

“Marco when have I ever warn about someone coming over?” she spoke.

“That is true. Your house is the town bicycle of the neighborhood.” Janna added in.

She frowned as the kid with the red hood gave her a confused look, “Please Diaz, just because I can’t see your lips doesn’t mean I can't hear you. Your quiet voice is a stage whisper more than anything.” 

“Anyway, now that you are all here”, Star sidestepped pass her housemate and into the center of the three and announced that she needed all three to go to her room post haste. Marco figured that meant that Jackie was right and that Star justed wanted another sleepover, no matter how much of a disaster the last one they had was. 

Through like last time he didn’t really all to it. No matter how much having the permission to be the center of attention a bunch of girls seem to be a guy fantasy. In reality such things were nerve-wracking and brought up questions such as ‘what do i talk about?’ and ‘is what I’m doing at any given point creepy?’

He figured however that he had to help get the girls settled for at least the time it took to get Starfan and Pony Head over here. Marco was sure that if this was another sleepover that Star couldn’t resist inviting those two and when they arrived maybe he could slip away unnoticed. There was nothing they really needed a guy here. 

“Okay ladies and Marco.” Star pushed open the door and while the rest of her room was normal there was a set up in the center, easily seen from the doorway.

There were three chairs, surprisingly unfestive, they were just metal folding seats, the ones you’d see at a school dance or assembly. They were facing a projector screen. No projector in sight but that didn’t stop the flat surface from having a square lit up right in the middle of it showing what could only be described as a face draw in the manner that it wouldn’t look out of place in steamboat willie. “Welcome to a presentation brought to you by your very own Star Butterfly.” 

She twirled her wand and a pink light swirled around it before shooting out onto the metal seats. The legs of the chair elongated and started to bend as if they were legs.

They started to jump and skip a bout, all while neighing like a horse. The three seats directed their faces, if you could call the blank metal surface that you would usually rest your back on a face, over to the trio of room guest. They moved towards them and kneeled low to sweep them off their feet. 

Marco yelped as Jackie laughed and Janna gave a small “woohoo.” 

The chairs circled around room once then twice as Marco and only Marco held onto the metal construct with a deathgrip. The chairs would suddenly stop in front of the disneyesque screen and slowly shrink, returning to normal.

Star slid her feet along “Ready screen?”

She gave it a wink and the projector screen giggled and winked back “Ready Star.”

Star raised her wand and held onto the top of it. There was a click and the top started to move off like it was being held together by a hinge. What was revealed was a bright yellow button, which Star moved her thumb upon and pressed down until another click was heard. 

Star filled up with pride “Now what do you see here?”

♡♢  
♤♧

“Um” Marco looked to his side and the two girls gave a side glance back to him. Guess it was up to him to answer, “Card suites?”

“Wrong Marco”, Star point the wand turn clicker at him. “I mean i would understand if you said something like royal birthmarks, but really card suits?”

“Royal birthmarks?”

“Ya, see.” she turned around and pointed at the hearts, “This one is me,” she began before shifting her arm over to the diamond, “and this one is my mom and well I don’t know who the other two would be but they’re probably not important.” 

Jackie smiled, “Nah Star. We totally have cards with those symbols.”

Star stuck up her nose before answering “well in any case it doesn't matter cause we’re both wrong.”

She returned to the screen, “these right here are ancient romantic symbols.”

“Romantic symbols?” Marco questioned, “I get the heart but I don’t understand the rest of them. Isn’t the spade just like a shovel?”

“I can understand a club.” Janna smiled with teeth “Nothing better then the feeling of arming yourself against your enemies.”

“Oh” Jackie seem to understand something, “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Is it something like that. Y’know familial love.”

“Close,” Star point at her fellow blonde, “Diamond does have to do with something like friendship but this isn’t about love. It’s about romance.”

Star pulled out a book with a purple cover with the same four card suits, “You see this book, It is a translation of the teachings of an ancient goddess upon discovering an alien race known as the alterians.”

There was a click heard and suddenly on the screen was the image a stone carving. It was a statue of a tall robed woman with a symbol of a sun indented on her chest. The only detail that she was human or at least humanoid was the brief glimpse of the very bottom of her nose, down to her chin and a tiny bit of her neck. 

“These guys apparently perform the whole courtship rituals way different than how they do things on earth or even Mewni.” Star brought the book close to herself, “That isn’t to say that they’re the only ones who do love and junk differently. There are are some places out there that’ll make you blush after looking at a spatula. You wouldn’t believe.”

“Nah I can think of a couple ways that’ll be kinky” Janna muttered. 

“These guys in particular” she sang, “were known for having a multi-relationship system which encouraged the expression of different emotions.”

The trio of listeners looked at each other and shrugged. They each took turns looking each other in the eyes. Marco concentrated, “So they were polygamous?” 

“Oh Marco,” the princess cooed “poor innocent Marco. Poor poor vanilla Marco.” 

She reached over and patted her bestie on the cheek, “the book expressly states that each relationship is completely different and in fact they considered each one was separate from the other and idea that having each one was polygamous was just plain silly. So, to not cause any confusion. Please don’t interrupt during the presentation.” 

Marco and Janna looked and each other and shrugged while Jackie mimed zipping her mouth closed.

“So to begin. We start with one of your math graphs except in this case it’s a graph of love.”

She pressed on the clicker and the image was modified to include words “They are separated into categories.” 

\-------------------Pity------------------  
Concupiscent----♡|◇----Conciliatory  
\-------------------♤|♧----------------  
\-------------------Hate-----------------

“These are Pity, Hate, Conciliatory and conscient.” Star frowned, “Concrescent. Conicupiscent. Sexy time.”

The magical girl lazily twirled her wand. A bubble of pink energy popped from the object creating a flash that both engulfed the projector screen and temporarily blinded her friends who she was lecturing. 

\-------------------Pity------------------  
~~Concupiscent~~ \----♡|◇----Conciliatory  
\-----Sexy-Time--♤|♧----------------  
\-------------------Hate-----------------

The graph changed appropriately. 

“So the first thing is Pity, and that is what the book kept on calling it. ‘Pity that’, ‘Pity this’, ‘I pity him’, blahblahblahblah blah. Just going on and on about it. It’s basically like ‘understanding’ more then anything else.” So begin the first part of the grand lecture. 

“So you combine that with ‘sexy time’” Marco didn’t consider ‘concupiscent’ to be that hard of a word to say but he didn’t bother to correct Star. When she was in one of those moods she was better left at peace. “You get me.”

Star pointed at the heart on the screen while simultaneously poking her cheek. “And as far as I can tell that is all cuddling, sloppy makeouts and holding hands on the beach. Y’know couple stuff. And then you have mom here.”

Star slide her hand over to the diamond. “She’s like super best friends. Like tell them everything, spend every moment together besties.”

That sounded simple enough, though there seemed to be no difference between the diamond romance and actual besties as far as Star’s explanation went. “Also there’s something about keeping each other from going on homicidal rampages, but we can cover that later.” 

Wait that sounded really important Star. “Next we have the shovel.”

No serious Star, **homicidal** is not a word you can just bring up and then skip like it’s nothing. 

“This one is the sexy time hate romance.” Oh well I guess we will never know what the explicit mention of murder was all about. 

“Um Star.” Marco finally interrupted. You might’ve wanted to have done that before when her highness was mentioning the ‘killings’ but whatever, “ _Hate romance_ is a combination of words that I don’t think work.”

“I don’t know about that.” There was a lot of eyebrow moment coming from a rather smug looking hat wearing girl. “Can’t you just imagine it, Diaz? A man and a woman engage in a battle to the death, clawing at each other’s clothes. Eating at each other’s throats. Not at all caring when their clothes rip and then-” 

She seem to grow larger and was there globs of sweat rolling down Marco’s neck. There were definitely globs of sweat. 

“Easy girl.” Jackie pulled on the back of the girl’s neckline. Turns out Ordonia was appearing larger because she was leaning towards the boy. 

“Don’t want to scare him off.” Jackie whispered in her ear.

Now they were smiling at each other and Marco was definitely sure that he didn’t like that. He has never been afraid of Jackie before. No wait that’s a lie, he has spent a life’s journey avoiding her, but this was a different fear that had all to do with his bashfulness.

“Star why don’t we continue on with the lecture. Everyone who wants to continue with the presentation, breathe. See everyone is breathing, everyone wants you continue your explanation.” Well to be honest you were a bit too busy talking to breathe so it wasn’t unanimous, “What does the Spade represent?” 

“Actually Janna’s pretty much right.” Star stared at the filipina with a blush dashed across her face. 

“She is?” Geez, Marco try to keep the pitch of your voice down. You said that with a frequency that could crack glass. 

“Woohoo. Everybody hate snog.” Marco didn’t need to guess who said that.

“Yaya. Hate snog.” That one deserved a turn of the head. Both Janna and Jackie were pumping their fist in the air, repeating an endless chant of “hate snog, hate snog.”

Janna please try to be just a bit less of a bad influence of the skateboarder.

“So moving on to part two.” 

“What about the club?” Marco’s voice intercepted Star’s finger which hovered just above the yellow button. 

“What about the club?” Star threw the question back. 

“Aren’t you going to explain the club?”

“You want to know about the clubs Marco? Well I’m going to be honest. I have no idea what the clubs’ deal is. I read that dusty tome all night and I can’t make head or tails of the clubs, but I’m going to blast forward with this whole thing anyway.” Star breathed deeply, “Alien romance is hard, Marco. It’s hard and _nobody understands._ ”

Star slammed down on her wand clicker. 

The projector flashed and suddenly there were faces on the screen. All of their faces drawn in simplified cartoonish glory. 

“So you guys all remember the other day. When we were all worrying for nothing.” Star reminded them, “Marco was worried that he’ll be the third wheel between me and Jackie was worried about being a third wheel between me and Marco.” 

“I wasn’t really worried about anything.” 

“And why am I here? I wasn’t even with you guys.” There was an obvious smirk, “Well as far you as you know.” 

“So to remedy our obvious suspicions and jealousy of each other, I have come up with this game plan.” so Star were you just planning on ignoring the question? No wait she was clicking on the button again. She was definitely ignoring the peanut gallery.

The screen faces danced around the chart, “Let’s start with Marco for example. Y’know since he’s already got everything basically figured out.”

The crude Marco drawing floated to the top of the graph. It smiled a dorky doodle grin. “So Marco already got two of the four down pat. We got him and Jackie acting all lovely dovey and me over here rockin that diamond; besties for life.” 

The respective drawings moved over their symbols on the graph. The Jackie head made a kissy face while the heart behind her beat. The Star head flash a smile as the diamond rocked left and right. 

“So basically we’re up here setting up boundaries.” Janna offered an answer for the lecture. 

“That still doesn’t answer why Janna’s here.” Marco really needed a reason why Star invited the scary lady to his house. “Other than boundaries being something that she should’ve learned a long time ago.”

Janna crossed her arms and pouted. Nice try but he was going to double down on that statement. You spend way too much time in his bubble of personal space.

“Ya about that.” Star that laugh seems a little bit too forced. 

The princess looked at the last remaining doodle on the screen without a position. “Psst, get over that shovel right over there.”

Janna’s head casually floated to the spade.

“No.” Nope, nah-huh, no way in hell. 

Marco’s attempt to stand up was foiled when a magical force pushed him down into his seat. In this case the magical force was a hand shaped energy which radiated off of Star’s wand. It poked him down with it’s index. 

“Marco, come on. Just listen please.” Butt returned to seat, so did the giant energy appendage returned to the wand from which it came.

“Ya Diaz, hear her out on this.” Janna tried to helpful to the mewman but only served to irritate Marco. 

He knew enough to know that was probably her primary goal all along. It will most likely continue to be her primary goal in the future as it was in the past. “I’m pretty sure you’re the last person I want to take advice from here.”

“Please Marco.” Sweet words came to his ears. They were however tainted by their intent. 

“Jackie?” 

Oh no, she was giving him that look. Doing that voice. Normally that was all it would take to put him under her spell. “Won’t you hear her out.”

It wasn’t going to work this time. He couldn’t allow it, “Why are you on her side? She’s trying to make me do **things** with Janna.”

“Ya and it’s funny.” Marco didn’t want to be a boyfriend (still wasn’t sure if that was his official title) who tried to check anyone but maybe he could request that she spent a little less time with Janna. 

She tried again, “Star obviously worked really hard on it.”

“Diaz, right don’t you put one on me right now?” Janna puckered her lips, taunting him. Daring him to try. 

“Hate snog, hate snog, hate snog!” Once again the furious chanting of the two girls continued again. This time they were joined by a third. 

“Star, don’t you use British vernacular on me. You don’t even know what a ‘British’ is.” She didn’t. She didn’t even know that China was a country. To her lo mein was the closest association to China there was. 

Star paused but the two other girls continued their rioting, “Hate snog, hate snog, hate snog!”

“Of course I do Marco.” the princess thought about it, “It’s a pastry or something.”

“No.” if looks could kill. 

“A cake, a custard, waffle.”

“Hate snog, hate snog, hate snog!”

“It’s not a desert.”

“Marco I’m not going to stand here discussing sandwiches all day.” Her finger drew an invisible line between Marco and Janna, instructing jim to his assigned fate, “You grab your hate friend and lay one on her this instant.” 

“Hate snog, hate snog, hate snog!”

“No!” Marco stood before any magical intervention could be cast. “And quit it with the **hate snog hate snog** , I’m going to be in my room.”

He stomped out the door and out of sight from the gang of teenage femme fatales. Not before Janna got a glimpse of that tush.

“Oh that things that I’m going to do to that boy.” she purred, “Thomas, you’re sure you’ll cool with me going after your boy.” 

“Ya Jan, this is hilarious.” One could say that when it came to Jackie and Janna, that the two got drunk of each other’s atmosphere, “Besides under Star’s system, I think that between me and her we both got a 50-50 share each.” 

“Star.” The duo looked at the project leader. 

Stat gave a smirk that let them know that they were all up to no good, “Janna Banna by the time we’re through, Marco is gonna hate you so bad, you'll be irresistable.”

They all could live with that. 

“Nice. I think I’m gonna have to borrow that book.” she pointed at the purple tome that started all this, “I'm going to need the inspiration.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so the plan is to have 7 more chapters after. One focusing on each pairing and than a final epilogue.


	2. Will You Walk Into My Parlour?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let the alien cultural exchange begin.

It’s an amazing thing just how quickly the human mind can adapt. All someone really needs is routine, a pattern to follow and anyone can start to get the hang of a bad situation. Let’s take Marco Diaz for example. Over the last few days he has learned, come into terms with and accepted the fact that he will probably never be safe sleeping in his own bed ever again.

So during the night when he had the choice between self-preservation and sleep, he of course chose sleep every single time. A bit unlike himself, he was known as the safe kid for a while but he was weak. His punishment today, for what crime he didn’t know, had already kicked in and he hadn’t even opened his eyes yet.

He found that he couldn’t move his arms. They were stuck closely together to his torso. Taking a deep breath he prepares himself for the worst and popped open one of his eye lids.

Of course sitting right on top of him was Janna Ordonia. He was not at all surprise. After all according to legend sleep paralysis was commonly caused by succubi. “Hey Diaz. Sweet dreams?”

He twisted his wrist and they chafed. The boy looked down and finally realized why. Chest down there was a mass of rope. He of course would will together every inch of his combined years of martial arts mastery and break free of these restraints just not now. Maybe after he had coffee or perhaps a bowl of cereal. Despite keeping a strict morning schedule he was actually not that much of a morning person. “They were actually. Then I woke up. Now I would like to get ready for school.”

He gave a good shove against his restraints for show. This was met with a bored expansion from his captor who, sitting sideways swung her legs back and forth in a rhyme.

“Sure thing.” She began to hum right as she pushed off him. Her feet hit the group with a soft thump. Janna did not untie him. She skipped out of the room, “By the way. You're out of cereal.”

Strange, considering he was sure that he still had half a box left. By the time he was able to free himself, he was already way behind schedule. When he went down to confirm that she had been telling the truth, it was far too late for him to actually make something to eat.

 

He had to go to class hungry. Thankfully even with the delay he still had time to meet Jackie at his locker. One of the many privileges he got to fully enjoy as a boyfriend.

She greeted him with a kiss on the cheek. Well kinda of a kiss. It was given as an afterthought as she swung her arms around him, stopping her from a rare but disastrous crash. He wasn’t going to complain about it and it didn’t hurt that she was able to play it off very smoothly. “Hey Marco.”

“Hiya Jackie.” He smiled at her. He tried to make his grin as cool as possible. Did it look cool? He hoped it looked cool. The safe kid extended his pointer and his finger followed something in his girlfriend’s grip, “Hey. What’s that?”

“Oh, little birdie told me that you missed breakfast. Thought I’d bring you something.” The object turned out to be a tin, wrapped in yellow paper with a red plastic cap sealed right on top. She wiggled it in the air, tempting him to just grab the container.

“Thank you Jackie,” Marco roared and smiled. He palmed the tin and hooked a fingernail underneath the red top. He frowned and stopped. “Is this a trick?”

“Come on Marco. Am I known to play tricks on you?” Jackie fluttered her eyelashes at him. Normally he would see the act as flirtation and desirable but the timing only made it more suspicious in his eyes.

“No” He drew out. Eyes narrowed as he clawed playfully at the red plastic, “but Janna would.”

“Come on.” She whined, but didn’t lose her usually relaxed smile. She shook her hips as she placed her hand on her sides, “Would I really double team you with Janna? I’m pretty sure that’s like against the rules. Well maybe. I actually didn’t read the book.”

He didn’t move a bit. “There is totally something awful in this bin.”

Jackie started to play with hair before she leaned forward. They’re shoulders touched. “There isn’t, I promise.”

Having nothing to lose other than his dignity, and let’s face it Jackie wasn’t dating him for his surplus of that, he decided to bite the bullet and open the suspicious object. Ripping it with all the care of a bomb squad operative and flinching with the grace of a high school girl in a horror ror movie. It nearly dropped it. In fact it was in the air for a moment. He had to juggle it for a moment before it stabilized back between his palms.

Nothing happened.

Marco believing that he had taken the worst risk that he already could, peeked inside the cylinder like someone looking straight down the barrel of a shotgun. He raised an eyebrow and tipped over the tin, dropping onto his palm a tiny plastic bag. Just some peanuts, the sack they were in was tied close by ribbon.

“Thanks Jackie.” He straighten his back and smiled. He scratched the back of his head, “Man I think I got a little bit paranoid there.”

“You think?” thankfully Jackie sounded way more amused than annoyed, “Besides Janna been standing behind you with the rigged tin for like ever.”

“Wha?”

Sure enough there was a pop and ‘snakes’ started flying everywhere. Nearly gave him a heart attack. It wasn’t all that bad to be honest. Fake snake in a tin was like the oldest prank in the book, almost a cliche at this point. He almost wished that all of Janna’s pranks were this harmless.

Though she did seem to put a bit more work into it than was necessary. For example they were painted really well, almost lifelike in detail. They must’ve had a motor or something in them cause they were shaking about. One even slid down his collar. They felt smooth to the touch they hissed, stuck out their tongue and “these are real snakes, aren’t they?”

“You know they are.” The she devil whispered in his ear. Marco breathed in, breathed out and walked away with saying a word.

“Don’t worry none of those are poisonous. Found most of them in my garden.” Janna cries out as the karate boy fled. She gave a laugh and then turned over to the blonde. “Thanks for the assist Thomas.”

“I wasn’t trying to help. I just didn’t stop you neither.” Jackie bobbed her head from one aide to the other slowly.

“I think you just figured out the tagline for our friendship.” Janna spread out her arms in the air as if she was reading a banner.

“More or less. Hope Marco is alright.” Jackie pondered.

Janna raised an eyebrow. The look she was giving Jackie made the skateboarder wonder if she grew a second head. Actually scratch that. Janna would probably find that incredible. “You asking if the kid who can punch through an army is alright?”

“Fighting is one thing. He can be a little bit sensitive.” Jackie felt a little relieved at finding a fitting word.

“Ya it’s awful.” Janna rolled her eyes before she leaned into her pal. “He’s the one chose to date.”

The blonde shook her head. There was a small gentle smile right on her face. She looked like she was dreaming. “I wasn’t saying it’s a bad thing. In fact it’s something I really like about him.”

“Janna.” Star shouted right in Jackie’s ear, spooking the ghost right out of her. The princess skipped around her fellow blonde so she could swing onto the filipina. “So how’s things going with Marco?”

“They aren’t.” Janna groaned despite the affection she was receiving from the magic girl hanging off her neck.

“No.” Star started to droop down, putting on her best impression of a puddle. “But didn’t you change all of his passwords?”

“Yup” Janna admitted.

“Shave his only chest hair?”

“Uh huh”

“Swear his soul to a legion of evil spirits?”

“Ya, it’s going to be hilarious when they come to collect.” Janna chuckled. That wasn’t the first group she promised her friend to and it wouldn’t be the last. No one realized that his spirit rightfully belonged to her. “Maybe we should rethink this whole alien romance thing.”

“No don’t say that. If it can work for the altarians, it can work for us. You just got to go out there and be aggressive.” Star pulled herself up by Janna’s shoulders.

“Or we could think about this another way.” Jackie offered.

Star turned around and eyed the blonde. She did her best impression of a late 70s, early 80s star of a show she had never seen nor heard of. “What you talkin bout Jackie?”

“I’m just saying Janna has had a lifetime to get Marco to hate her. I think there might be more to this than just aggression.” Jackie gestured to Ordonia who could only nod in agreement. “Could I get a swing at that romance guide?”

“Oh Jackie Jackie Jackie. You got to trust me. After all I am the true romance master here.” Star patted her on the shoulder. “I don’t want to overwhelm you with all that jazz anyway. It can be pretty complicated stuff.”

“I-” Did Star just do what Jackie thought she did. It was probably just in her head. “Thanks but I’m a bit curious anyway. Janna?”

Said guide was pulled right out of Marco’s locker. “Knock yourself out.”

“Jawesome.”

 

As said before humans can get used to anything pretty quickly. Marco, for example got used to the fact that Janna will continue to mess with him until the end of his days. He’s not freaking out about that. He freaking out because that chaos for whatever reason stopped. After school opened the Diaz boy hadn’t seen a sign of the troublemaker even in the cases that he shared with her.

Now both could be explained. It wasn’t as if Janna had the best track record with attendance and maybe, and this was him thinking crazy, Janna got the hint that all this ‘courting’ she was doing was just not going to work, that aliens with completely different mindsets didn’t have cultural pastimes that mended with the human psyche. What more likely was that she simply got bored and would scurry off until she thought it was time to poke at him again.

It was rational but that didn’t keep him from second guessing every step he took. Not that overthinking it would help. He would fall straight into whatever trap that girl would set up for him regardless of however he acted. It was pointless. But he must have done something right because next thing he knew he was a block away from his home. The remainder of the day went without the other shoe dropping.

When he got to the door, his girlfriend offered him a kiss. He then rejected it. Just kidding, did you honestly think he would refuse? He accepted it the way you think he would. By being eager, than a little embarrassed at how eager he was, than finally by trying to act cool in a way that guaranteed he would be kicking himself later but Jackie still found cute for some reason.

Marco kissed her goodbye and started to make the trip in his home, back up to his room.

“Hey Marco.” He nearly tripped over Star. She was underside down, sprawled out on the stairs, not concerned with how safe that was if gravity chose to intervene. “Hey, hey. So I told Ponyhead that I’d go club hunting with her. So can I borrow your scissors?”

“Ya sure Star. Have fun.” Marco was prepared to step over the princess but was blocked by a stretched out hand.

“Scissors please.” She smiled sweetly. Star was making a ‘give me’ motion with her fingers.

Marco scrunched up his face, “I thought you already had my scissors.”

“Nah. I left them in your room after the last time I used them.” Star explained, sliding down on step.

Alright. He didn’t know why Star didn’t just go there in the first place. It wasn’t as if he ever said no. Than again he was lucky to have a best friend who was considerate enough to ask even if she knew he would always say yes. She might’ve learned that after the whole giant beard incident. It was a good trait to have. Other people could desperately learn it.

He expected the computer to be on his desk next to his computer or something. No luck, but just because he couldn’t find his scissors didn’t mean he found nothing.

There was a note. The paper was a bit crinkled up and the handwriting was a mess but he could still read and understand it. Marco let in a sharp breath and hissed. He crushed the message in his hand and walked away.

“Hey Marco. Did you find your scissors?” Star still spread out on the steps watched as Marco stomped passed her. He paid her no mind, opting instead to quickly leave out though the front door.

Star blinked and then smiled. She pulled her compact out from her skirt. Well it more that it fell out then pulled out, but either way the mirror dropped in her palm. She flipped it open and brought it to her lips. “Hey it’s Star. Marco just left.”

She paused.

Than rolled her eyes, “Sorry sorry. Shadow Queen. This is Day Moth. Day Moth to Shadow Queen, Target Hate Friend has left the-”

Star blinked, not quite knowing the vocabulary needed in this situation. The voice on the other end piped in. “Oh perimeter. Target Hate has left the perimeter.”

“Hey Marco. What’s up.” Jackie blinked. His girlfriend was just hanging out side his home for some reason. She leaned back. Her shoulder blades pressed against the front door way of the Diaz household. Her boyfriend suddenly barging out nearly unbalanced her but she kept her composure anyway.

Her boyfriend for once actually didn’t seem to say anything. Not like before they started dating where he was way too shy and nervous but more like he didn’t even realize she was there.

It was so different than how he usually was.

It was perfect.

Jackie took out her cell phone and brought it to her ear, “Hey Shadow Queen, it’s Blue Stripe. Target is heading straight to you.”

 

The outskirts of Echo Creek were the definition of nothing. Not nothing like long barren fields. That could describe as rural or natural, but nothing as in no one outside of whoever known the buildings could possibly care about what happened it. It was just storage building after storage building.

Worst was that it was in the middle of the suburbs. You could imagine that in the city, in an area where so few people gathered that something dark and mysterious would happen. No, none of that here. Usually.

Marco had no idea why his little note told him to come here. He didn’t try puzzling it together. He didn’t care at that moment. What he did do was try to kick a door open.

It was on top of a short stack of steps. He couldn’t really get a good running running start. He did reach back and one leg and slam his sole against the handle. That nearly caused him to tumble back. He got a good kick or two before realizing there was a note on the wall a little bit to the right side of the door. It was a post it with a key taped on it.

Come in and receive your prize <3

Man, that was exactly the type of corny line that he would expect coming from her. That weird flirtatious underline that she loved to creep him out with. It didn’t work, thanks to both the written word having less power than the spoken and because he was just not in the mood for whatever she was pulling.

Marco cracked the door open just enough for him to slipped in. He eyes traveled the dark room. It looked like a normal building, maybe or was a bit more industrial than most, but still normal. He relaxed.

He knew that was a mistake, but his brain let him do it anyway. There was a combination of screeches and static, the usually combination cause by a PA system.

It caused him to whine, even before she heard Janna’s voice, “Hey Diaz. Glad you came. Could you just deal with something for me real quick? Thanks.”

Deal with what? That was incredibly vague.

He heard a low vibrating growl. Saw teeth shining in the darkness. He wanted to curse and make demands but it wasn’t as if she could hear whatever he said. Instead he picked up a stance and prepared for a fight.

 

There was a fit of laughter as Marco charge in. It was too far away from him to hear it, but closer than one would think.

Janna had to admit that this whole supervillain set up that she had going wasn’t how she usually went about doing things but it was entertaining as all hell. She had to thank Star and Jackie for helping her set this all up, Jackie giving her the broad strokes of the plan and Star for the heavy lifting. She really made her dad’s old storage unit into a real lair where she could ride the reins of the world.

She traced the outside of her pocket and felt the outline of the dimensional scissors. She had a hard time believing that this of all things cause Diaz to finally show some backbone. He charge straight ahead into what he must’ve known was a trap. It would at least keep him busy for a while, he could take a little time.

Janna would be good for a little bit. She had a old couch to crash on. It looked a bit beaten but that just meant less resistance. Also if she dangled her fingers down she was in reach of a cooler filled with a couple sodas.

Her phone was in her hand, near full at ninety. She didn’t really need much of anything else until he reached up. She’d just browse the internet on her phone. It wasn’t like she could track him as he went further in. The security app her dad had was only connected to the two cameras right at the front door. It was basically worthless after he knocked down that wolf she had Star conjured up.

Shame, those traps sounded fun when Star and her was brainstorming them. He would have to fight a hydra, travel through a maze of crystals and lights to fight his doppelganger, battle against a horde of lost souls trapped in penguin costumes, and find a solution to the endless hunger of a physical god.

Her ears twitched as she picked up with a tapping noise, metal scratching against metal. There was always the possibility that Diaz could completely avoid most of his assigned task by just busting open a few locks.

Janna kicked her feet, one after the other until she had the the momentum to sit up straight. She blinked

“Huh, clever” was all she could say before being pounce on with all the might of a mountain lion. That didn’t hurt, not much. She practically melted into the sofa but it was a bit obvious that her assailant didn’t really seem to care if it did hurt.

Good.

“Sup.” Janna said, trying hard to make it look like she didn’t care that the not was currently mounting her. She only partly succeeded. There was a definite smile on her face. One you would give when you’re trying not to laugh.

Marco was pinning her down on the couch. He didn’t look worse for wear despite the initial challenge that had been set against him. He pressed against her, “Where are they?”

“Where’s what?” She tilted her head to one side, overacting innocence.

“Janna.”

“Sorry, but I’ve taken a lot of things from you. Are you talking about your keys, your wallet, your social security card?” She mentally tacked the number of items she had stolen from him and added to her collection.

“Janna.” He repeated.

“Man I just love hearing you shout my name like that.” She batted her eyes only to be meet with a unchanging glare. “Okay, okay. Hold on. I got it right here.”

He didn’t lift his weight, not completely. He eased up but he still had her pinned down enough that he should she wouldn’t escape.

Then suddenly his eyeballs erupted in pain. If he had been able to see maybe he would have notice the orange goo that began coloring his face but he certainly would see the black tube that Janna was grasping in one hand. He didn’t think about his movement and rolled off to the side. The girl stood up, giving the container a small toss in the air before catching it. “Oh wait. Sorry, mix up. That’s the pocket I keep the pepper spray in.”

She dug deep into both of her pockets. She retreated the pepper spray and took out Diaz’s prize. “See here we go. Here are the scissors.”

Marco clawed at his eyes, trying to rub the liquid away. It worked, short of. He definitely saw a blurry shape. It was enough for him to work with, he spun on the ground and hook his foot from behind the figure.

One of Janna’s feet knocked into the other, completely tripping the girl. Unfortunately she didn’t fall on the couch this time and instead her chin felt the blunt force of gravity thanks to the thin metal floors. The pair of blades swam through her fingers. Both of them could hear the scissors skid across the floor.

Both of their ears perked. They pinpointed the generally direction of the spatial tool. Marco leaped but he was anchored down suddenly. He twisted and looked back at his legs. He could clearly see Janna holding him down. Her nails was threatening to pierce his legs through his jeans.

He scoffed up his face and yelled “What is wrong with you?”

“What is wrong with me? Dude, what is even your problem?” She scowled right back at him.

He tried to crawl away, but she wasn’t letting out. If anything she seemed committed to making a trophy out of his pants. She had her claws so deep that they began to slip. He only just barely had enough sense into him to stop her from stealing them. Marco pinched the width of his pants and pulled up, while throwing a weak kick at the general direction of the girl’s face. “My problem is that I have a nut clinging to me.”

Janna goaded him. “Then do something about it.”

“Don’t you think I’m trying?”

“No I don’t.” Janna spoke, “Cause I’ve seen you really kick.”

The girl tightened grip and Marco could feel her nails press though his jeans, across his skin until she balled her hands into fist. Janna pulled herself forward. She climbed, moving up to his hoodie. Marco using both arms tried to push her back but she reached for him blindly. She didn’t know where her hand went. She thought that maybe it was cupping his face. No, not cupping, that sounded too nice. Her nails was definitely taking a little bit of skin from his cheek and nose.  
Diaz’s foot wandered until he could find footing. He found it in Janna’s stomach and used some force to cast her away.

She breathed deep and found some strength to lunge, moving her hand behind his head. She brought it towards her face and stared deep into his eyes, “Why are you letting me do this?”

“I’m not letting you do anything.” He grabbed her wrist and tried to get her to let go of his face.

“You fight monsters.” She launched herself up, trying to pin him down. Her face hovered over his. “How have you realize how hardcore that is? Silver Prep has legends about you after they nearly got killed playing a game here, but somehow you let yourself get beaten around by like a five year old annually.”

“He had brass knuckles.” Marco sputtered back.

“Not like you once fought a some guy who literally had maces for fist.” Janna rolled her eyes. She pressed down on his cheek. “Get real Diaz. Cause I’m completely done with you pretending to be so pathetic.”

“Maybe I actually have self control unlike you.” He punctuated his sentenced with a swift kick to gut.

It hit her so hard it nearly cause her to sit back up. She bounced on her bottom and fell to one side. She lifted her torso, ignoring a throbbing in her rear. “Or maybe you just love being the absolute worst.”

“Oh I’m the worst?” Marco stood. “Have you seen your grades?”

Janna looked up at the ceiling. Her voice was dripping with sarcasm. “Wow Marco, I’m so hurt.”

“Shut it. You’re the biggest nerd I know.” It was his turn to attack. He leaped at her and she rolled back. Her feet met his chest and she caught both his wrist.

He spat at her, “You already went through our school library, the entire library. I should know. I volunteer there.”

“Of course you do.” That was not a surprise.

“But somehow you pretend not to have any idea about what’s going on in class. It’s like you’re actively trying to avoid looking good.”

“Who even cares. I just do my own thing.”

“Oh really, cause if I remember your favorite color is pink. You’d think you be all over that, after all you don’t care about what people think. Then again, you lied about that. Maybe you’re lying about all of this.” He seem to ignore her legs, moving in closer until his face was an inch from her’s.

Janna snapped, “Oh you are not calling me a poser.”

“I didn’t call you that, but thank you giving me just the right word.” Marco sneered.

Janna let go of him and flicked her wrist, pulling out her pepper spray once more. It got him in the ear but he grabbed her arm and twisted it, causing her to drop the device. He flipped her over and forced her arm behind her back.

It was just in time her for to push her head forward and reel back. The top of her skull knocked him square in the nose.

He cup his palm over his nosil in reflex and she scurried away from him. He pinched it lightly, making sure no damage was done, “You could do whatever you want, but you just spend all your time messing around, trying to look tough.”

Janna stood up and swept her arm around her head. She didn’t notice when her hat dropped off. Her focus was on clearing some sweat that she didn’t even notice collecting on her forehead.

Diaz saw an opportunity. He was on his feet before she knew it. He swung his hips and checked her. She was nearly knocked against the wall. He scoop up her hat and held it up, presenting the item to the room. He trusted it down on his head and laughed, “How does it feel when someone takes something of yours? Too bad it’s just this stupid hat.”

“Stupid?” She reached out to him. He tried keeping her away. He was a bit successful. She ended up pulling on his hoodie, but couldn’t get her own article of clothing back. “Oh no. Stupid would be the guy who bought fifty sets of the same outfit.”

She jumped and he skipped backwards. Next thing be knew there was the sound of something shredding. His arm felt colder. He gained some distance and looked at his appendage and saw the biggest gash in his top. He gasped, “Oh crud. This was my favorite hoodie.”

He twirled and pulled the top off, not only to inspect it but to prevent any further damage to the cloth. It was thrown to the side. Any tear could be fixed later. He had business to attend to.

Janna was looking a bit pleased with herself. A pretty normal expression on her face. He always hated it and figured that than was the time to wipe it off her mug. He was thinking ‘an eye for an eye.’

Marco walked slowly up to her. He stared her right in the eye, grabbed both sleeves of her overshirt and yanked down.

The girl blinked and turned around, attempting to break his hold. It worked for a second but he grabbed on again and the jacket started to come off in the struggle. It slipped off one arm and when he tried to get the other, she jabbed her head forward and bit him right on the arm.

He pulled back, the sharp pain made him flinch enough that he got the other sleeve off. It took him a moment to realize what she did but when he had, he felt heat rise up from his chest to his face, “Oh no. If you’re going to bite, I'm going to bite back.”

He did. He didn’t really care where. Her arm, her chin, wherever he could get his jaws to. He didn’t know how but he somehow got to her neck of all things. His teeth trace against her skin. He could almost taste her sweat.

There was no hesitated when he brought his teeth down and Janna made a noise that he would never describe to anyone out of pure embarrassment.

He paused, eyes opened wide. It only then dawned on him how that act would look like to a third party. He didn’t let her go, but he did pull his face away and got a good look at the girl. Janna was giving him the same smirk she always did. That was a lie. Her usual smirk didn’t give her cheeks a red streak across them. Nah did it ever looked that alluring.

“So biting is allowed right.” She said slowly. Her voice was shaky like she couldn’t decide if she wanted to talk or if she simply wanted to breath so she did both. It was different, but this was definitely Janna standing in front of him. He has no idea what to do. Thankfully she did. She pulled on him, bending him to her. She jammed her teeth into his, a remarkable imitation of a kiss.

Signals fired to his brain, he didn’t know if it was from the fight they just had or from what was happening now, but he just knew that whatever she was doing to him, he had to do it to her harder. He kicked off the ground and charged. He rammed her back into a wall and bit down on her lips.

 

The volume of the television went up. That did nothing to overtake the array of noises that Star was making however. TV, seemed like a good idea to pass the time, Jackie thought, but Star as impatient spent most of the time humming and sighing over her compact.

The princess was bored, she understood that, but she didn’t need to be so actively bored. “Hey, so do you think your whole thing worked out?”

“They’ve been away for this long. Either they’re finishing up that whole alien cultural hate thing or they murdered each other.” Jackie shrugged. She press a button and the volume went up one notch.

“God, I hope not. I like those two.” Star leaned back.

Jackie just waved at the princess, “Just trust me.”

“You think everything is going to go perfectly?”

“Nothing is perfect. I just figured that Marco would let Janna do mostly anything he wanted because he didn’t really think it was worth it. We needed something that would make him stand up for something.” There was more to it than that, Jackie had read. There had to be level ground between the two. Normally Janna went with hit and run tactics. Didn’t really give the guy a chance to react, let alone fight back. She read the in order for this romance to work that both sides had to be more or less equal. Giving Marco a way to win would at least let him have a chance against her friend. “So scissors.”

Star rolled her eyes, before flicking the compact open and close. “I know, you told us this. Just because you skimmed through the book doesn’t mean you’re an expert you know.”

“I know that.” Jackie said slowly. She didn’t want to mention that was the exact thing Star did. She paused another bottom on the remote, changing the channel.

 

If anyone was at the outskirts of Echo Creek, they would’ve bear witness to a gaggle of unique noises followed by a strangle quiet. The storage unit was the same as ever. It was still in one piece and still housed Marco and Janna, but the two of them were in a heap, a sweaty out of breath heap.

Janna stared at the ceiling. Mentally preparing herself she tried to get up. She went as far as sitting using both her elbows for support. She scratched her exposed stomach, letting her hand wander until it found the bottom of her shirt that was slightly hiked up. She pulled it back down. “Woah that was terrible.”

“That was awesome.” Marco didn’t need a moment. He just popped right. He had a look like he just found enlightenment.

“We should do that every day.” Janna even with with complete exhaustion could just smile.

Marco swallowed. His mind flipped completely. He gasped. “We should never do that again.”

“What?” The two yelped at each other.

Janna flinched and immediately regretted it. Damn she was sore. “Oh come on Diaz, you just went as far as you could in a PG13 flick and your backing out now?”

“Hey, you just said this was awful.” Marco argued.

She knew what she said. “Ya, but that because I went head to head with a guy tough enough to fight a bear.”

“Bearicorn.” Marco corrected.

“Whatever.” Janna scoffed. She shook her head and continued, “My body will get used to it. I know you had fun and Star and Jackie had a little bit to do with this so it’s not like you don’t have the okay. What gives?”

“Janns this. This was-” He started, “I felt-” but he couldn’t seem to find the right words, “I just not sure if I could keep up with you.”

“Keep up with me? Gosh, you’re dumb.” She said a bit sharper than her usual teasing. Than again this whole thing was a bit further than her usually teasing.

He growled, “Hey. Quit it.”

“Or what. Gonna make me?” She said and he knew she would love nothing more for him to try. The lack of a reaction caused her to completely deflate, “Marco. Do you think I’m perfect or something?”

“No,” He said almost too quickly.

She gave him the old stink eye and he shrank back. Janna let out a sigh before casting her sights to a far corner of the room.

“Want to know what I absolutely hate about you?” She took his silence as permission to continue. “Like okay. So long time ago, in kindergarten, I met this one kid. He was a complete know it all, raised his hand at everything. Thought he was unbearable, like anyone else would. He was even a real teacher like you would expect and don’t even get me started on his major acne outbreaks during junior high.”

Marco bumped against the side of her, “Janna I get it. I'm a huge nerd.”

Ordonia laughed and readjusted her, “Oh I’m just getting started. Cause I realize when i absolutely hated about this guy. Cause his whole teacher pet thing wasn’t a teacher pet thing. It applied to everyone. He always went around trying to be all helpful like be was trying to prove something. Always trying to tell everyone how much of a badass he was even though everyone sort of knew. He always acted like he had to be better than he was and he never realize that people already liked him for being him.”

She swallowed and looked right at Marco. He didn’t say anything but the look he gave her caused her to hesitate. Being nervous was unlike Janna, but that was the only way she could describe how she felt, “It wasn't just that he tried building himself up. It was that while he was doing all that, he made himself worst. He never helped himself, didn’t took credit when he should, never took chances that were a sure thing, never won battles that he never should of lost. It’s like he doesn’t even know how good he is.”

Marco let her words sink in. “Wow. Janna I never knew you thought about me like that.”

“You? Who said I was talking about you?” Janna muttered. She avoided looking at him.

“I feel the exact way about you.” He smiled. He blinked. He looked surprise that came from his mouth. “I mean. This is this one girl I go to school with it and from as long as I remember she was just a menace. She didn’t just ignore the rules, she made it her mission to break them. I thought she was just being dumb but that wasn’t it.’”

“Then out of nowhere she just started to stick around me and no matter how much I told her to leave me alone she wouldn’t. I hated it. It didn’t matter if things were going great, or everything sucked, she was always there. I never wanted to admit that when things were terrible that her messing with me made me forget, at least a tiny bit, why I was feeling bummed to begin with. I could just focus on her. I began to realize that she wasn’t too dumb to follow the rules. She was too smart. She was smart enough that if she had an issue she could solve it just like that.” He started to realize just how embarrassing this was, “She helped me and if she could do that, why not everyone else? If she wanted she could help so many people. I just hated how she wasn’t being the best version of herself. If she wanted, she could do anything.”

It felt like something bursting. There wasn’t an explosion. In fact there was nothing. They just sat there, not even looking at each other, until suddenly Janna just yelled.

It was a low growl, like a buzzer. She stuck out her tongue, “Damn Diaz, could you be any more sappy?”

Marco gasped at how she shifted the blame onto him. “What? You're the one who started it.”

“Whatever.” She spat, “So we let’s be honest. We both think the other one sucks.”

“Is that what we decided?” Marco tilted his head. He wasn’t too sure how she got that conclusion.

“Of course. You admitted it just now. I annoy you so much that you forget about everything else.” She paraphrase, wiggling her eyebrows.

He was aghast, “There were compliments in there.”

“I vaguely remember: ‘i’m not the best version of myself.’” She quoted. She shoved him playfully, “Think you could be a better Janna, Diaz?”

“I’m not saying that had a little to do with my ‘misunderstood bad boy’ act, but it wasn’t completely unrelated.” He admitted.

The filipina cringed. Him trying to convince everyone he was a bad boy was one of the most awkward things she saw freshmen year. “Oh my god you have to stop.”

“You know what? Nah.” Marco grew smug, “After all this hoodlum needs to express how ‘good he is.’”

“I’m going to kick you.” She fulfilled her promise before he could even respond.

He countered with a quick shove.

The two resumed they’re fighting. They exchanged blows, the soft words were gone but not entirely forgotten.

“Hey Janna I told you if you’re going to bite, I’m going to bite back.”

“Go ahead.” She couldn’t help but giggle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, this was a hell of a lot longer than I expected. I wanted these to be short. Like 2-3k but I chose to begin with one of the harder pairings. I ship Janco, but a Kismesissitude (hate romance) is one of the more alien concepts to humanity. It didn't help that unlike most of the other pairings that Janna x Marco isn't officially established.
> 
> It would've of been easy to have the chapter end at the fight and than next chapter they're in a relationship, but I wanted it to be obvious that there is more there. That it's not just about fighting each other or hating each other. It's that the hatred and strife comes from how much they respect each other. I hoped that I did that. 
> 
> The first pairing down. Five more to go.


	3. Hypothetical Marco

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lunch date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let Jackie return in season 4.

“Marco, stop” She couldn’t have possibly sounded less serious. There was a fit of out of control giggles as Jackie was assaulted by barrage of kisses from her boyfriend.

This was new. This wasn’t usual Marco behavior. This the same boy who would second guess himself when holding her hand. She didn’t mind his usual antics, but it was nice it have him shower her with affection. It was a shame she had to end it. Her palm guided him gently away, “For real, we got to get to class.”

“Ya for real. You guys are going to make me gag.” Janna took the first opportunity to remind the two where they were. At school, their usual meeting place right in front of Marco’s open locker. In front of the teenage population who would feel really awkward if the two got any more passionate where they could all bear witness. “Which is impressive since I once mummified a cat.”

The boy rolled his eyes before stepping towards the filipina. She winked at him. “What Diaz, going to give me a smooch too?”

She didn’t fight it as he place his hands on her mid section. It almost looked for a second that be was going to fulfill her prompt, but soon she felt pressure on her armpits. Her legs felt weightless. He lifted her up, took two steps forward and dropped her into his locker.

“See ya Jackie.” Marco didn’t even acknowledge Janna as he slammed the door shut. He strutted to class feeling more confident than ever.

“You know that this is a cliche.” There was a metallic tint in Janna’s voice as the soundwaves echoed through the locker.

Jackie stepped towards the makeshift prison. She tried to eye her friend through the slits in the door. “Hey Jan, do you need some help with that?”

“No way. He made a mistake, I’m trapped in here with all his stuff.” The skateboarder could hear rustling from inside of the container. Janna’s threat was probably not empty and by the time Marco returned it would be a surprise if anything he held in his locker was intacted. Jackie wondered that if Janna destroyed his lunch that maybe she and her boyfriend could sneak of site for some lunch. Maybe the two could even share text books for the classes they had together.

Jackie wasn’t going to take sides between her boyfriend and friend, but she was sure going to benefit from it.

 

 

She was joking when she thought this but after a few bells had rang and it was the afternoon, Thomas has received her wish. It was in the form of a locker wide open with Janna comfortably sitting in it. Her back against the back of the tin with her legs out in the hall, where they nearly tripped some unobservant students. In fact it did cause one particular cheerleader fall flat on her chin to the joy of the school’s normally sadist janitorial staff.

Diaz when he saw the state of personal space had one question. It wasn’t how she had broken out or even why she was still hanging around. Both of those were expected. What he questioned was “Where did the door go?”

Ordonia didn’t just open the locker nor was it busted though. The door was completely removed from the hinges. It wasn’t even off to the side. It was nowhere in sight.

Janna shrugged as if it wasn’t her doing at all. It would look more convincing if she had muster of the will to look at least a bit worried at the disappearance or at least take her hand out of the paper bag on her lap.

She rummaged through the bag, allowing the paper to cringle. It wasn’t a large bag but it took her awhile to find what she was looking for. It was like she was using the crackling as a sort of taunt. She eventually pulled out a sandwich, cut into two halves diagonally. She unwrapped it.

“Woah, what happened here?”

“I just have to get-” Marco paused. His eyes grew wide and his mouth gaped. His vision like a spotlight shined on his nemesis, “my lunch.”

His hands swiped but met only with air. He swung for the sandwich in her hand but she was a step ahead and yanked it away from Marco. He had to attack again. This time he grabbed the rim of the gaping locker to stabilize him as he fought for what was rightfully his. Janna had to lift her thighs off the ground and plant her feet firmly in his stomach to keep the distance between herself and her assailant.

“Hey back off.” Is what she said but considering her mouth was filled with mushed up peanut butter and jelly it sounded more like “kafka,” or “pack up” or some other string of syllables that might vaguely rhyme.

He still understood her perfectly. “‘Back off’? You back off. That’s my sandwich.”

That of course only caused Janna to eat faster. While before she was eating leisurely, after the reveal she wolfed the lunch down. She didn’t shallow between bites instead choosing to fit the entire mush in her cheeks like a pet hamster.

“Marco” Jackie pulled on his sleeve and than his shoulder, “It’s all right. I was kind of expecting this to begin with.

“You were?” Marco relaxed for a moment giving his rival the necessary time to truly devour his lunch. She pulled out a juice box, also his, in order to help the nutrition slide down her throat.

Jackie nodded “Ya, figured that maybe the two of us could maybe go out for lunch. Have a little field trip.”

Marco stood to face his girlfriend just in time for her to lean towards him, “Y’know just the two of us.”

“Or-” There wasn’t a gap between the two but Star still found a way to slip in. Her eyes met Jackie’s despite the fact that she her words was obviously directed towards Marco, “I could always just cast something up. There’s no reason to go through so much trouble.”

Star held her hand straight up, pink sparks flickered emphasizing her point. A tiny amount of pink fog started to gather around the artifact like clouds would gather during a storm.

Jackie looked at the princess and she didn’t frown, but she definitely didn’t have a smile either. Star stared back and an sudden feeling of awkwardness began to grow between the two.

“Actually Star. If it’s alright with you. I think I'll have lunch with Jackie.” The bubble of anxiety was popped as Marco gasped his best friend’s shoulder and gently guided her to his side.

“Ya, that’s alright with me.” Star laughed. She peered through one corner of her eyes before looking straight at Marco, “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Come on Marco.” Jackie reached around the princess, who stared at Thomas’s arm as if it was a threat like a snake or strange tentacle. Jackie gave her boyfriend’s hoodie a tiny pinch which drew him towards her. He sidestepped around Star. Jackie did a little twirl, not too different than what you would see in the beginning of a ballroom waltz, to hook his arm around her shoulder.

The two walked away, step for step. Marco was too focus on his lunch date to turn back to his two friends, but Jackie did flutter her fingers back to signal goodbye. She gave one look back and while Janna seemed more concerned with emptying the juicebox than with their departure, she was almost sure she saw Star balling her fist.

 

 

“Wait. Jackie you’ve been in Echo Creek for how long?” Marco suddenly stopped on the sidewalk. He, for a moment had to check his hearing. His girlfriend didn’t actually say what he thought she did, did she?

The blonde with blue stripe tilted her head to the side, “Marco we were in Pre K together.”

“My mind is telling me that, but my heart can’t handle the fact that you could live here for so long and never been to Emilio’s.” Marco pointed at his scalp before dragging it over his left breast. He suddenly straightened his back. He had made a resolution. “We’re going now.”

“Can’t wait for ‘the experience” She rolled her eyes but any effect that might’ve had was undercutted by a playful giggle.

Marco didn’t let the joke slide. He played up narrowing his eyes, “Did I detect a bit of sass?”

“Sass? Moi?” She gasped, trying hard to to grin.

He tried his best to act like she had blasphemed, “I think I did. You’re lucky you’re cute.”

“Cute huh? Just cute or...?” Jackie waggled her eyebrows.

“Well. I. Um.” Marco quickly swallowed his words.

Jackie gave him a tap with her hip. It didn’t move him, instead it was like her side melted into his. What did move him was when she giggled. It nearly caused him to trip on his own feet and he had to grabbed onto her to steady himself. He didn’t know if she realized his intention but either way she made the most of it. He had grabbed her shoulder behind her back. She clasped his fingers and lifted them. At first he thought that maybe she wanted her personal space but than she guided his hand down, onto her hip. She didn’t want distance between them.

He squeezed her towards him. It wasn’t hard for him to realize that he didn’t want there to be any space neither.

“Just between you and me. I’m not sure if I’m still allowed at Emilio’s.” Marco brought up.

“Why not? Did Star like demolished storefront or something?” Jackie said knowing that was well with in the field of possibility.

“No, there was this whole thing where I pointed out he only out down ninety-nine slices of pepperoni instead of one hundred and than some kid on a bike came right out of nowhere and made some weird speech about pizza that cause me and Pony to become friends and-” Marco paused, “-Actually that might’ve been a fever dream. That was a bit too weird even for me. Emilio!”

There was a bell when Marco shoved the door open. Marco shouted with a familiarity that she rarely if ever heard him speak with. He lifted his arms, always waving them in the air. What he got in with return was a rage filled shout. “Marco, how dare you.”

“Emilio?” Marco eyes grew wide. His arms dropped a bit.

There was a tense moment. The boy stared at who Jackie assumed was Emilio. A heavy set man who’s shirt didn’t hide away his chest hair. The owner glared straight back at the teen. It was almost like the two was in the middle of a duel. Each waiting for the other to make the first move.

“How dare you.” Emilio spoke, and Marco flinched. The chef smiled, “How dare you step into this store and not introduce me right away to your friend. Who are you my dear?”

Any awkwardness in the air disappeared. At least between Jackie and Emilio, Marco was still sweating a little bit, “Oh well. This is- She is my- I’m really happy she’s here to meet you. She’s.”

“Jackie. Jackie Lynn Thomas and I’m the girlfriend of this master of the english language.” She point her boyfriend in the side with her elbow.

“The famous?” Emilo mouth made a large O shape. “And since when has this been a thing?”

“There was a school dance a month back. It just sort of happened.” Marco explained, scratching the back of his neck.

“Boy, it’s like a slap in the face. After all this time and now you decide to show up? Why I have half the mind to knock you from corner to corner of this shop.” The large men gave the air a few whacks with both the front and back of his right hand.

“Now that’s scary. Every minute you’re not behind that counter is a minute you’re not making pizza.” Marco laughed.

Emilio relaxed, “Speaking of which. It’s a pretty slow day and it’s just so happens I got a fresh pie right in the oven. Don’t want nothing to go to waste, you and the misses here might as well have it, on the house.”

“Misses, well we’re not. I mean we’re together but that seems a little bit too quick-” They were together, ya, but ‘misses’, that that was way in the future if at all.

Thomas pulled on his arm, “Come on Marco. Thanks Emilio. I can already smell it. Perfection.” She led him to a table, hoping to get him seated before he got too embarrassed.

Emilio laughed. His gaze followed the couple to their seat. “We have a flatterer over here. You better watch out Marco. She keeps that attitude and I might try to introduce her to some of my nephews and nieces who just so happen to be single.”

“I will fight.” Diaz gave the pizza chef a warning before taking his seat.

Emilio surrendered with his arms before turning around and taking a peek into his oven, “Just keep the karate hands away. I have an unspoken rule against lethal weapons in the pizzeria.”

“Well he definitely doesn’t seem mad.” Jackie smiled. She couldn’t imagine a man more jolly.

“Ya what a relief. I’m not sure I could stand normal pizza. I’ve been spoiled.”

“Your folks must’ve taken you here all the time.”

Marco laughed, “For good reason.”

“You and the owner seem pretty close.”

“Ya, I don’t know. I think I might’ve just gotten along more with adults than people my own age.” He thought about it for a moment but just shrugged.

“You were always the guy to go to if you needed to convince a teacher something. Janna never gave me truer advice.” She seemed to remember a few moments from long ago. Maybe of one if the few opportunities she had to interact with him throughout the years. “But that wasn’t always true. I mean you had your annual exchange student. You always had someone to hang with.”

“Ya. Well.” He looked down at his lap.

Jackie frowned, “Marco? Are you okay?”

“Sometimes I wonder how they’re doing.” Marco eyes went idle, taking peeks across the pizzeria. “Like Gustav, you remember Gustav, he came down to visit near the beginning of the year and that made me wonder. I haven’t heard from anyone else in a long time.”

Jackie started to understand, “Oh Marco. You missed them, don’t you?”

That sounded correct to him. He nodded. “Ya a bit. It’s always fun to hear about new and exciting places, but sometimes it nice to take a second to think about the old stuff and sometimes I wonder that maybe they’ve forgotten me.”

“Marco. I can’t see anyone forgetting you.” Jackie brushed her thumb against his bangs, gently caressing his forehead. “Remember back in fifth grade when Ron moved away?”

That was a name Marco hadn’t heard since the sixth grade. “Hope’s Ron?”

Briefly there was a image flash of a quiet brown hair girl that Jackie was friends with. She had, for a lack of better words dated a boy around their age couple years back. Ron, was nice if generic. Hope had liked him though. Marco wasn’t close to her as Jackie was nor did he pay attention to gossip but even he knew that she was devastated when he suddenly moved away one year. Jackie explained, “There was all that crying and hugging when we learned he was skipping to the other side of the country. We all have good memories and I still consider him a friend but the moment he was gone the gang had to move on. Hope on the other hand was numb for like the rest of the year, but eventually even she got over it.”

“Just happens huh?” Marco guessed at his girlfriend’s point.

Jackie nodded. She flashed him a tiny smile. “If you want, afterschool we could look them up. Or get ol’Starfan to stalk them online. That girl is scary good at finding people.” Jackie grin grew. Her eyes sparkled, “Just don’t get too friendly. I might get a bit jealous, some of those girls had major crushes on you.”

“Stop.” Marco laughed it off. He swayed his hand in the air as if be was physically dismissing the notion.

Jackie lips parted. Marco looked so innocent as if he couldn’t see the truth in her joke. “Oh god, don’t tell me you didn’t know.”

“Jackie, I think I would know if someone had a crush on me.” He rolled his eyes, but there wasn’t a hint of irritation on his face. If anything he saw it as Jackie trying to make him feel confident.

“Are you for real? You didn’t realize any of them had crushes on you? Lacy, Aika, Lotte? I didn’t have anything to do with this but I feel so bad for them.”

“They didn’t me any crush vibes.” Marco looked at the corner of his eyes. He went through a mental checklist. “It’s not like they held my hand, left me love letters, kissed me on the cheek or-” he swallowed despite the fact that his mouth was dry “-blatantly flirted with me.”

“We’re on the same page now?” Jackie cringed. It was almost as if she could feel the boy’s pain.

“Ya we are. Oh man I’m dense.” His elbows perched onto the tabletop. His head dropped to his palms.

Jackie felt a tiny bit bad laughing, “Ya, but you’re cute so I’m letting it pass.”

“Only cute?” Marco lifted his head and smiled flirtatiousally.

His girlfriend scratched her chin. She feigned being in deep thought. She peeked at an invisible object through the corner of her eyes. “I have a few words I’m saving for when we’re alone.”

“Well Jackie, I don’t want to shift blame but it might have everything to so with you.” Marco dragged out his words. “You have any idea how long I was crushing on you?”

“Well” Jackie pointed at her neck.

Marco hissed. That was a memory he rather not have brought up. “Ya, of course you do. Thing is, half the time I was hanging with any of them, I was talking about you.”

The blonde blinked, “Oh crud”

Thomas stared at her boyfriend who could only look back at first. Eventually a minute had passed and her eyes hadn’t moved away from him. The gaze started to become hot, like the sun and like the sun, he found that he couldn’t look at it for long. He began to sweat when suddenly, much to his relief, the skateboarder moved. It wasn’t much just a tiny nod. Well it wasn’t much of a nod, more like a bobbying of the head that so happened to have been vertical. Marco could finally relax and let out a deep breath. That is until his girlfriend reached over the table and whipped her palm against his arm.

“Ow, Jackie. I’m pretty sure beating me up is Janna’s job.” It hadn’t actually hurt, but it definitely wasn’t something he had been expecting.

Jackie dropped back into her behind. She massage her forehead with both hands, unintentionally mimicking an old timey psychic “Sorry, but you deserve it this one time. Now I feel worst, dude. Like we definitely gonna find those girls online now just so I can apologize.” A tray slid in front of her. A golden crust caught her eye alone with platinum cheese. “Right after pizza.”

She gave the owner a smile and he shot one right back at her, before he scrolled behind his counter to attend to the phone that just began to ring. Jackie torn a slice onto a left behind paper plate.

“So how often do you talk about me with Emilio?” She started dumping oregano onto the pizza.

“What? I don’t talk about- I mean I think I mentioned you once or twice, why do you think?” Someone had to think out their sentences before they started them.

“‘The famous.’” Any argument he could’ve made died.

“I didn’t just talk about my crush with my friends. It was probably the worst kept secret in all of Echo Creek.” Marco rubbed the back of his neck.

“It’s alright. Though still don’t know what I did that made me like you so much.”

“I don’t really know.”

“Ow.” Jackie paused, raising an eyebrow.

“I didn’t mean it like that.” Marco sputtered.

Her face broke into a soft grin. “Kidding.”

“Honestly, looking back it was probably pretty shallow. You were pretty and I just sort of ran with that. Ended up obsessing over you instead of pulling your hair and getting smacked for it, like a normal kid would.” Marco cracked a joke.

“We could’ve been making friendships bracelets in kindergarten and telling everyone we were girlfriend and boyfriend. We would’ve been so happy until we got into a fight cause we both wanted to draw with the last purple crayon. It’s those tough situations which would’ve driven us apart.” Jackie tried to say that wistfully, but she looked too amused at the idea for Marco to believe she was truely melancholic about the missed opportunity.

“I would like to believe that Tiny Marco would’ve let you use the purple.” Marco defended his younger self. He couldn’t keep his face straight and instead shared a laugh with his girlfriend. He let out a puff of air to calm himself. “I think maybe I thought you were cool or brave. Vague traits that didn’t really mean anything. Like I knew you hung around with practically everyone and you seem to just do whatever whenever you wanted.”

“Easy to do when you have Janna fueling your most destructive impulses.” Jackie said, letting garlic powder rush onto her slice.

“But that's not it. I mean, you are cool, but that’s not why I like you.” It would be a bit too easy to name a bunch of traits and it just wouldn’t fit the moment. “Honestly the exact reason is hard to put to words, but I don’t think I like you because of the reasons I thought I would, if any of that makes sense. It just fits.”

“No I think that makes perfect sense.” Jackie put down the condiments.

“If I really had to say anything...” Marco shook his head.

Thoma’s ears perked. “What?”

“I feel really sappy thinking about it.”

“Hey, the whole point in dating is to be really sappy. Come on, you can tell me.” Jackie took a bite.

“When I try to imagine what I would’ve done, if you never asked me out, if I never had a little man thing grow on my neck, if we never got trapped in a giant torture box; just a hypothetical Marco never getting to know you. I just get all ack inside.” He bit his lip. Marco wonder if maybe he could’ve dug deeper for a better word, but couldn’t really think of any that better fit. “Just ack. I like where we are. The thought that I could’ve just went along, never confessing everything, never getting the chance to be with you here. That’s scary.”

“Marco.” It came out a bit mumbled. At least part of that was because she was mid bite when he finished his sentence, but there was more to it then that. Jackie shifted in her seat like she wanted to stand but she only made it a couple inches before she decide against it. Her butt plumped against the flat surface of her chair. She covered her mouth. “I want to kiss you right now, but I just bit into a spoonful of garlic.”

Jackie gestured with her slice. It was obvious that she had abused the garlic powder.

“I think I might have a work around.” The boy’s eyes sparkled for a second, “Read my thoughts.”

“Oh that’s my thing.” Jackie gasped. She wanted to fake being offended at the copyright, but was far too excited. She held the edge of the table as she leaned forward, as if distance was the a deciding factor in telepathy. “Wait, let me try.”

“Concentrate. Close your eyes.”

“Alright.” She wasn’t sure if it would help, but she’d take any suggestion at that point. Suddenly she heard a slight scratching as a chair slid against the floor before feeling lips on her forehead. She giggled and opened her eyes. Marco stood next to her, slightly hunched over. “That’s okay? Not too cliche, right?”

Jackie shook her head, “No, I liked it.”

“Good, cause I kind of what to do it more.” He blushed.

“After I fill my stomach.” Jackie smiled, before bringing her hand up to check her breath. “And maybe we can grab a couple of mints on the way back.”

 

 

Marco coughed. The fact that he made a conscious effort to turn ninety degrees to his right nearly cause him to choke, “I think I have your mint.”

She had only just toss the tiny candy onto her tongue. The minute they walked out the convenience store, Marco had pulled her to the side of the store. After about what must’ve been fifthteen minutes, they were still there. The boy let his tongue hang slightly. The mint stuck to the center of it. He reached to grab it. His hand was stopped as Jackie grasped his wrist. “I’ll be getting it back soon enough.”

She pulled him back to her. The first kiss was right on her lips, the second was on the corner, than they got progressively further. She unintentionally pressed against him when she felt a sensation on her neck.

“That trickles.” She chuckled. “What is with you today?”

Marco stopped. He had a look on his face like he only was just coming into realization about what he was doing, “Sorry I just-”

“Hold on. I wasn’t saying it was a bad thing.” Jackie said before backtracking a bit. “Though I gotta admit I probably would’ve hated it if you were all touchy feely when we started dating. Now I’m really into it. I’m just surprise. Sometimes it feels like you’re almost afraid of touching me.”

“Ya, I kind of was. Actually I think I was afraid of dating you.” The kid let out a imitation of a laugh. He looked away. “I’m just kind of amazed that I haven't screwed this up yet.”

Jackie reached over and cupped his cheek. She gently turned his glance back to her. “Oh stop it Marco. You kind of made a big deal about getting to know me. I'm not letting you off the hook easily.”

“That sounds great.” Marco swelled his cheeks, fighting to replace the small frown he did have with a equally tiny smile.

“So tell me, where’s the bold moves coming from?”

Marco looked down before he swallowed his anxiety and looked his girlfriend in the eye. “This was just something I wanted to do for the longest. Thinking about it. Maybe, hypothetically, there’s a Marco out there who did pull your hair in pre k, who wasn’t afraid of talking to you.” He was tempted to avert his eyes but steeled himself. “I want to be that Marco. I think that’s the best version of me. A Marco Diaz who isn’t afraid to show you how much he cares about you.”

“I always thought you were.” Jackie smiled. “The best.”

“Sorry, just if you tell anyone I said that, just make sure it’s not Janna.” He suddenly felt heat in his cheeks. He rubbed his palm into face like that would make the blushing disappear. “Too embarrassing.”

Jackie immediately understood, “It looks like she’s helping you out. At least sorting some stuff out, noggin wise.”

“Ya, though. Guess she’s good for some things.” Marco looked like he had difficulties saying that. “I think admitting that left a bad taste in mouth.”

“You’re a pretty good influence on her too, trust me.” Jackie softened his words. She was clearly imagining something that eluded Marco.

“Hey Jackie, are you really okay with what’s going on between Janna and me?” Marco wondered.

Jackie laughed off any worries that he could've been having. “I particularly led the conspiracy that led you two into hooking up.”

“You did?” He had imagined that the plot was more the doing of Janna mostly.

“Ya Marco, who did you think plan everything, Star?” Jackie obviously found the idea laughable.

“Why?”

“Because you’re good for eachother, like how we’re good for eachother.” She thought that over again, “Well it’s not good in the same exact way, but still it’s good.”

“I know, but this isn’t exactly normal.”

“Normal? Marco, for better or worse things haven’t been normal around here since Star showed up. I've gotten used to it.” Jackie stated, but eventually relented. “But you’re right there are things that I still need to talk out.”

“Oh.” Marco prepared himself mentally.

“Not between you and me. Between me and Janna.” She elaborated.

The guy tilted his head. “About what?”

“This and that?” Jackie said as if even she wasn’t one hundred percent sure what the conversation would entail.

“Private?” Marco filled in the implication.

“For now.” A finger tapped the boy’s nose. “Just know that this isn’t just for you. It’s for Jan too.”

“Ya. I got to do my part in making Janna slightly less awful.” He said as if it was a great burden, but he still looked excited. Marco stepped back from Jackie.

“Plus I still think it’s hilarious.” Jackie snickered, “Hate snog, hate snog, hate snog.”

Marco groaned, “Why is everyone around me so chaotic?”

“Don’t act like an innocent bystander. You knew what you were getting into.” She pulled on his sleeve. “Hey Marco, read my mind.”

“Okay, I guess I deserve payback for earlier.” He rolled his eyes but smiled.

“Think, think, think.” Jackie urged him.

“You-” He hesitated, “Want your mint back?”

“Close enough” She smirked, but looked away from him.

He notice that was not a confirmation. “What is it then?”

I love you.

“I’ll tell you eventually or maybe you’ll actually read my mind.” It wouldn’t matter. He’d get the message either way. Jackie pulled on his arm, leading him away from the store. “Come on, we gave Janna and Star plenty of time by themselves.”

“I hope Stars not too mad that I left her alone with Janna.” Marco idly pondered as they started the stroll back to class.

“Relax. I’m sure they forgot we were even gone.”

“I’m getting back at Janna for dissembling my locker by the way.” Marco stated casually.

Jackie inquired, “Really, how?”

“Like she’s the only one who can crack a lock.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably feels like just fluff, but considering when I wrote the first chapter and where it is in canon there shouldn't rrally be too much tension. Marco and Jackie are (in this fic) still together. 
> 
> I don't think that Jarco got enough love both from other fic writers nor by the actual writers of the show. I understand they wanted to move on in season 3 but I felt like it could've definitely had been built more in season 2 considering how much filler there was that season. Hell, they could of took out that weird magician episode or the Marco and Pony Head episode to make room for it. The later I took a small stab at here (Hello random speech giving child), cause it was bad, not my least favorite (Fetch), but still bad.


	4. Planning is No One's Strong Suit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Janna and Jackie have an adventure to discovery the greatest treasure of all: Friendship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had the first third of this written for a while. The issue going from that to where I wanted it to end, but I did it in the end.

Jackie tapped a few keys on her phone. With a quick click the phone's screen was put to sleep before it was shoved into her bag. She stared in front of her at a plain white door.

“Jan. Hey Janna.” There was the soft beating of her knuckles on the wood. After a second of no response Jackie resorted to tapping out a rhyme on the surface. She was eventually rewarded for her effort.

“What is it Thomas?” The door cracked open and there was a sharp metal sound that filled the air. The chain that kept Ordonia’s door close snagged. Jackie could only see her friend’s hair and the corner of her eye, glaring at her, “And who let you in?”

“Your mom did.” Jackie shrugged. It was an obvious answer.

“Why does she do this to me.” Janna grumbled, much to Jackie’s amusement. She shifted and Jackie hear a pound on the other side of the door. Janna sighed, “Can’t hang out today. I’m not feeling good. Coming down with something”

“Janna. It’s not nice to keep your friend waiting my dear.” A voice cried out from down the hall. It didn’t really sound angry, just scolding.

For a moment Jackie didn’t see or hear her friend, though she knew she was taking the time to roll her eyes. Eventually she heard a overly dramatic sign, “Fine.”

The door snapped close and the rustling of chains filled the air as the security of the door was undone.

Jackie tapped her foot as she waited for entry. She adjusted her bag which she had hung over her shoulder. It was a bit heavy but she could manage. She wasn’t prepared for when her arm was suddenly yanked. Janna was fast but this was a bit intense. She didn’t even caught a glimpse before she was pulled into the room.

The poorly poorly lit room.

“Janna?” Jackie didn’t know why she ask. Who else could it be, but the blinds were close and the lights off. If her friend was standing in front of her she couldn’t tell. That is if she was even still facing the other person in the room. The sudden force left her just a little bit dizzy. “Why are the lights off.”

“Oh, are they? Didn’t notice.” Only Janna could say an obvious lie with such a straight and even voice. Jackie could’ve almost believed her. It didn’t help that she couldn’t make out any visual cues in the dark.

Jackie jiggled her bag. There was the obvious shuffling of the contents within. “Well I was planning to show you some books and we don’t exactly have night vision goggles handy so-” Jackie traced her fingers against the wall.

“Wait Thomas, no.” Janna raised her voice ever so slightly, which meant minor annoyance coming from most people, but from Janna it meant that she was freaking out.

Jackie could almost smirk when she felt a finger poke a light switch. She heard a violent crash behind her, prompting her to quickly flick the lights on.

She turned around and saw Janna on her bed, wrestling with her covers. She absorbed into them until she was a big lump that covered everything but her face, specifically her eyes, nose and mouth.

Jackie tilted her head. She stared at the girl, “Jeez girl, what’s going on?”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Janna said plainly. Though her poker face scattered as the blonde raised an eyebrow. “I’m not saying that I was trying to jump up so I could claw out the light bulb.” She stared at the ceiling as if she was cursing the inanimate object that rested above them. Janna shifted and pulled the blanket inwards more. “Neither am I telling you that I ended up face planting on my bed and burrowed my way into my sheets.”

“Janna.” Jackie said, “Why?”

“Sleep naked.” The answer came easy to the filipina, “Not like I was expecting you to visit today. You know we all have phones for a reason.”

Jackie looked like she was about to comment on the hypocrisy of Janna of all people complaining of a sudden arrival but held off on it, “Janna, you don’t sleep naked.”

“Hey seriously. I’m actually nude under here.” A foot shot out from underneath the clump of cloth. She wiggled her toes.

“I could step out for a moment.” Jackie let her nag slip to the floor, “Just grab something. I have a whole day planned and you’re not going to want to miss it, trust me.”

Before Jackie could even turn around to leave the room, she was stopped by a long high pitched whine. Janna clenched her teeth, before finally saying, “Wait.”

Jackie paused.

“There is actually another reason I’m streaking under here.” Janna offered an explanation.

Jackie waved her hand in the air, signalling for her friend to continue. Ordonia swallowed a pint of saliva. She scrunched up her face before reaching up to her face. She pushed back the sheets that covered her hair, revealing a bright pink beanie.

Jackie blinked, “Um Janna, what is it? Is it underneath the hat?”

“It is the hat.” Janna admitted.

“Is that it?” Jackie giggled, “Come on. It looks good and I thought that pink was your favorite color?”

“Yes it is. I just don’t want it on me.”

Jackie looked at the hat which was literally on top of her.

“Shut up. I feel naked without something covering my hair.”

Jackie looked at the blanket.

“Ya. I know I'm in the buff underhere. Just- you know what I mean.”

The blonde looked up at the ceiling and shook her head. She still smiled anyway, “Janna, I don’t think it’s a big deal and you look fine to me, but if this is really freaking you out so much just switch back to your old hat.”

Janna groaned.

“What?” Jackie questioned.

“Check my clothes”

Jackie looked confused, but still obeyed the request. Across from Janna’s bed was a short purple cabinet with two round knobs and two drawers underneath it. Jackie grabbed the two knobs and pulled. Pink. There was pink as far as the eyes could see. Wait, that wasn’t entirely true. There was two denim jackets hung up too, one blue, one white.

They weren’t Janna’s favorite color but Jackie didn’t believe that fact would do much to please Janna considering that both were still far brighter than her usual wardrobe. They would go well with the pink shirts at least.

Jackie checked the drawer underneath and just saw like fifty different copies of the same white skirt. Janna didn’t have to go bottomless, though without a top that would be a bit risque, probably more so than if she went out in her birthday suit.

“I’m going to kill Diaz.”

“Wait, you think Marco did this?” Jackie turned back around to Janna trying her hardest to set her cabinet on fire using her thoughts alone.

“I know Marco did this.”

“How?”

“You just know. Trust me.”

“The sneak.” Jackie thought that she probably shouldn’t look so amused at her boyfriend’s actions, but she just felt happy that he felt bold enough to do something so daring.

“Wait a minute. When he was swapping your clothes did he-?” Jackie mouth opened wide like she was about to gasp.

“Nah, those he didn’t go through those. The coward.” Janna cursed. “Thomas, could you go to the mall and buy me some clothes?”

“You know I normally would Janna, but I have plans for us today and I kind of needed us to get started like fifthteen minutes ago.” Jackie grabbed a bundle of clothes, shirt, skirt jacket, the unmentionables and threw them at her friend who reluctantly dragged them under her cover.

“I don’t think I’d be up for anything looking like this.”

“Don’t say ‘anything’.” Jackie tossed up her bag and what she pulled out did caught Janna’s eye.

“No way.”

 

 

“Even the boots are pink.” Janna had to watch her step as she skipped through the portal. That was a mistake. Looking down reminded her of the monstrosity on her feet.

“Janna.” Jackie was ready to offer her friend a rare scolding. She stuffed Marco's scissors in her backpack and pulled out her cellphone, giving her messages a once over.

“Ya, I know. We’re on a schedule. Least they’re not fuzzy.” Small miracles. Janna rotated her waist, allowing herself a greater degree of sight. “So this is Mewni. Looks like any old woods. Hey, is this the forest of certain death?”

Jackie tapped her cell against her palm, “Unfortunately no, but close. Marco sorta made me promise not to touch the place. This is near the outskirts of the forest on the opposite side of the capital.” She gestured to a random direction. “We’re far enough out that all the wildlife probably won't ambush us, but it’s still not the best place to hang out for too long. Less Forest of Certain Death, and more Woods of Minor Annoyances.” Jackie laughed at the small joke.

Janna didn’t join her but could muster a bored expression.

Jackie frowned, dumping her phone before retrieving two books from her bag. The first tome seemed a little bit chewed up, like it been through it’s share of things. “That what the locals call it, according to the guide.”

The second book she tossed Janna’s way. The troublemaker’s reflexes kicked in and she caught whatever was thrown at her. It was a pocket sized book, like one someone would used for notes. “What’s this?”

“Check it out. Picked it up just for you.” It wasn’t an answer, but Jackie believed that Jan would figure it out quickly enough.

Janna’s thumb felt the light thumping of paper as she cracked through the pages. She must’ve saw something familiar because eventually Thomas heard the cry of “woah” that she had been expecting. She smiled and stuck her face into her own book. “You might need that,” She absent mindedly moved forward, “This isn’t dangerous by alien standards, but we’re still two Earth girls. Good thing one of us is a expert on the paranormal.”

“Uh huh.” Janna flicked through the booklet.

 

 

There was the light crackling of grass underneath their shoes as they travelled quietly along the forest. Jackie had her nose in her tome with Janna not too far behind. Ordonia kept her hands in her pocket, trying to act nonchalant as she attempted to caught a peek over her friend’s shoulder.

Thomas by accident or by design made it difficult for the pink clad girl to caught a even a written word. Janna didn’t know how long her patience held out. Could’ve been a few minutes but to her it could’ve been a few hours, but she eventually spoke as casually as she could manage, “So what exactly are we looking for anyway?”

“Who even knows.” Jackie joked and Janna could’ve believed her if she hadn’t been laser focused on what probably was the map.

“You do.”

“Just relax, we’re get there soon enough.” The blonde waved it off, “It'll be worth it, promise.”

For a second Jackie stopped, tilted her face up away from the text and scanned the horizon. She must’ve found something cause when her nose went back down she made a forty five degree turn to the left. Janna didn’t have much of a choice but to follow her.

Eventually when they got to a river, they followed it. It lead downwards along a series of bumpy hills. With no foundation the trees parted away from the stream, creating a scar above where the two could see the mewmen sky. It was a nice sight, but not particularly eventful.

Jackie broke the silence, “So Janna, you figuring out that spellbook?”

Janna thumb the outline of the book in her jacket pocket. “Um,” She thought, “Ya.”

“Good,” Jackie nodded, “Good.” The blonde bit her lip. “Hey Janna, have you thought?”

Thought of what? “Huh?”

The girl shook her head and if anything dug herself deeper into the journal, “Nevermind. It can wait.”

Janna groaned. She spun once, not missing a step even as she narrowly avoided shoving a foot into the river, “Come on Thomas, we’ve been walking forever. We have the time.”

“You know Marco and Star?” Jackie considered her words and hearing no immediate spot continued, “You know how close they are.”

Janna smirked, “Feeling jealous?”

“Yup. Filled to the brim with envy.” Jackie rolled her eyes, “but seriously,” She tried to continue but whatever she was going to segway to was overpowered by a deep hollowing sound which filled the forest so greatly that the trees are sway as one.

She fought the initial gut reaction to dash away into random direction of the woods and instead peeked over the covers to look ahead. There was nothing,

“What was that?” Janna exchange looks with her friends.

“I don’t know.” Trying to keep her movement as minimum as she possibly could, Jackie waved a hand at Janna low near her hip. “The book.” She suggested, ”Just in case.”

The little black book slipped out of Janna’s pocket. The pink girl pressed her thumb in, turning into a random page. Her gaze scrambled across the words and diagrams. Jackie held her own book with both arms, above her head ready to swing horizontally at whatever could jump out. The two girls rotated away from each other holding for their visions to cover a greater radius.

They held their positions, held their breaths and nothing happened.

Jackie relaxed and Janna slowly followed her lead. The blonde’s shoulders slumped. She almost looked embarrassed at having been startled.

“So ya, anyway.” She moved on from the interruption, “Star,” and got back on subject. Jackie went on as if nothing happened. Slowly opening the book and curling it back up straight so she could read it. “What do you think about Star?”

Janna paused to give her guide a look that made it clear that she was questioning her friend's priorities but still answered the question with a casual “She's cool.”

“Just cool?” Jackie nearly missed a step. “The two of you have been spending a lot of time together.”

Janna countered, “So have you two.”

“We hung out like once to get you and Marco together and it wasn't the best. She got a little passive-aggressive,” Jackie paused “and aggressive-aggressive. Like she kept implying that I'm dumb, and I'm like that’s basically a blind guy telling someone they have bad eyesight.”

“Really?”

“Ya, but I don't really see it as at much of a lost, cause the more I learn about Star the more-” Jackie hesitated as she tried to put her thoughts in the gentlest of terms, “The more I think she's kind of a brat.”

She failed.

“Like I thought I was being pretty cool with all this-” Jackie waved her fingers around as if demonstrating a physical object, “-whole alien romance thing, I mean you and Marco really needed some to get your feelings sorted out and this sounded like the golden path, but I was the one dating Marco to begin with. You would think she be happy I’m one hundred percent into this, but the minute I took charge she just started being really snappy.”

Janna than said-

Oh wait nevermind, Jackie apparently wasn’t quite done yet, “I’m giving her exactly what she wants but to the princess it’s not good enough. Sorry I’m not sitting back and letting you run wild like everybody at school or the billion of servants you probably have.”

“Um Jackie?” Oh it was Janna’s turn now.

“Wait,” Jackie blinked. She brought a hand to her temple as if she had a migraine, “Sorry, I’m over here ranting and this is suppose to be about you. I know that you are Star are cool and you probably aren't all for me bad mouthing her.”

“No. Like I think Star is cool, but I'm more surprise that you think that Star isn't cool.” Janna explained. “I didn’t think it was possible for you not to be chill with anyone.”

Janna let sit in the air before her mind caught up to the full extent of the conversation, “Wait Jackie, this trip is about me?”

Jackie whined. She had to think of something to tell her friend. She didn't have the time to improv. The forest was once again filled with a deep roar that shockwaved through their veins from the legs up.

Instinctively Jackie grabbed onto her friend's sleeve. She turned to her, “Whatever that is, its probably miles away.”

“I'm not sure about that.” Janna tried to mutter but it came out as more of a yelp. Jackie followed where she was looking and saw bright yellow irises underneath the light shadow of the trees.

“That's not gonna move if we don't, right?” Jackie hoped and was once again proven wrong. The form of the beast was revealed as the light draped itself from the head back.

It was feline in appearance, but green and not covered in something that definitely wasn’t fur. If anything it was moss, roots and vines. It’s ears were flowers and paws, mushrooms, but it's claws and teeth were claws and teeth. It showed them and the difference in color from the rest of it's form made them more prominent. Jackie couldn't stop looking at them.

It growed. Jackie felt a soft touch on her hand. Janna shouted “Come on.” Before she knew it they were halfway to the top of a tree.

Jackie thought that between the two of them that she was the athletic one but Janna beat her to the top, even giving her a hand on the last stretch. “Okay” Jackie place her bottom down on a branch, “I got my book. You got your's?”

What might have slowed her down was her conscious decision to hold onto the guide. She didn’t know what information would be useful but it was better than nothing.

Janna blinked before patting her jacket, revealing that yes she still had the small book on her. They looked down at the creature below. It circling the roots of the tree, peering at them. It didn’t so much walk like a normal large cat would, instead the vines that made it’s flesh uncoiled and coiled for each step making the core of it’s body look very hollow and allowing them to catch a hint of a wooden skeleton underneath.

“Now what are you.” Jackie flip the cover open and allowed the pages to dance from one side to the next. She scanned one block of text before the next was half way to covering it. “Got it” Jackie pressed the page flat. She read it and for a moment she adopted an amused smile “It’s called a Tiger Lily.”

“Lame.” Janna groaned and then immediately regretted it because someone found offense to that as evidenced by a sudden growling.

“Watch out.” Jackie yanked her arm and the two ducked out of the tree as another tiger lily dove over their heads. The two hit the ground, rolled and continue running.

“Janna, any luck?” Jackie panicked.

It took a moment for the girl to realize exactly what her friend meant. She dug the book out and flickered through it. “Um, Thomas. I don't think I can do this.”

They bobbed past the trees, any direction they had been following before lost in the chase. Another body. There were three of them. They couldn't make it out but they had to assume it was yet another large cat. Jackie shielded herself with the guide and pushed, redirecting the tiger away from them but losing the book in the process. Pages flew in all directions behind them like a cloud.

“You have to.” Jackie shouted. There was no telling how close they were to safety or even if there was a safe zone amongst the forest.

“Janna, you’re the mystic expert here.” Jackie pleaded, “Janna, hurry.”

They made a sharp turn. When a claw slash through the bark of a tree they maneuvered around, Janna could swear that she felt the air pressure from the tiger's swipe. “I’m going to be a bit honest with you. Star is the magical expert and while I love the stuff, I am not.”

“I really think you got that backwards.” Jackie swerved.

They eventually found the end of the stream. The abrupt end. A shallow pond that met a waterfall of sorts on the the otherside. It was clear of trees, though there were a combination of roots and beautiful pink and yellow flowers that littered the clearing.

That wasn’t important at that moment. What mattered was the three tigers on they're heels and the large rocks around the pond made for the perfect hiding place as they tried to conserve their stamina. They dove over one boulder. The predator just missing the sight as they stuck flat to one side of the rock. Jackie peered just enough to see the wild cats stalk the area, not getting close to where they were exactly but seemingly patient enough to continue looking until they did.

Jackie turned to Janna and whispered, “So what are we working with?”

“Nothing.” Janna hissed. It was sharp and she even paused, worried of accidentally bringing attention to them. “Like I normally would be all over this, but let's be honest here. It’s not gonna work.”

Janna brought her knees close to herself. If they had to hide out for however long, might as well get comfortable. “I can read spell books and rituals for hours but they don't work. Not really. We should just ride this out, hide and hope we don't get our faces chewed off”

“Janna. It'll work” Jackie smiled, but her friend didn’t find it reassuring. Putting the immediate danger into the back of her mind, the blonde inched towards the other girl. “Remember what I said about Marco and Star? Well maybe I am a little bit jealous.”

Before Janna could even think about interrupting Jackie amended her thought, “Not in the way you think I would.” She gave a deep breath, “I just like watching them and how they act the way they do around each other.

She looked in the distance and for a moment it seemed less like they were hiding for their lives and more like they were just relaxing peacefully among themselves. “Pushing each other, making each other better. It just makes me think, why can I have that?

“Then I think about it.” Jackie rocked to the side enough that her shoulder hit Janna’s. “Think really hard and the only person I could have something like that is you.”

“Jackie, why?” Why her?

“Cause you're you, Janna.” There was nothing else that needed to be said about that.

“This sounds like a love confession.” Janna laughed, but it wasn't a out of control laugh, more of a stay in control laugh. She didn't know what to do.

“It is.” Than Jackie realized how that sounded and her cheeks grew red, “Just weird alien romance. The diamond.”

“Star's mom.” Janna suggested.

“Ya, we're Star's mom.” Jackie agreed, before shifting. She rubbed the back of her neck with a spare hand. “Actually that would be weird considering well you know.”

Janna tilted her head. “Know what?”

Jackie rolled her eyes and scoffed. “You know what I'm talking about.”

“No I don't know, that’s why I asked.” Janna shook her head. The apprentice mage started to lift herself off her tush. “Actually, you know what? I'm gonna kick a weed's ass and then we're gonna get back to this.”

“Get them girl.” There was no other words needed from the blonde.

Janna stood up on the rock and Jackie didn't see any point in staying hidden either. They didn’t know if the tiger lilies could be surprise, but they they did look cautious at first. All eyes were on the girl with the small black book in her hand, held open by it’s spine.

The cats bared their teeth, one even took a step forward.

Janna cleared her throat.

From her lips came rhymes.

As the cats grew impatience and started to unleash a low growl that seem to vibrate Jackie’s inners, Janna’s chants just kept on coming.

The creatures moved closer but forever reason. Jackie didn't know if it one of the tiger lilies moved too close to them or if it was random but there was smoke coming from within the vines that were it's muscles. Smoke that slowly grew thick until it became soft flames that demanded the cat's attention.

Any motion that might've originated in a need to pouce at the teen girl shifted into a panic roll as the beast tried to drown the flames in the shallow water. However the fire did not die. As one needle of heat was extquish two more emerge where the water was not.

Even as the tiger thrashed and hissed the spell it was under proofed too strong until the most basic of instrints overwhelm, flight. Every vine loosened as it turned tail and ran. There was a trail of fire behind it which drew the attention of the other two cats who ran from the hexed animal, possibly thinking that the blaze might spread to them if they did not.

Even through the glow died down as the animals left the spellcaster's proximity they were proved and continued their return until the idea of them returning was impossible.

Janna's words began to die and a aura that Jackie hadn't even realize had been there had dissipated as her friend slide down off the rock. Janna's feet made small splashes in the water. “That was close.”

“But you did it.” Jackie’s moments were restrained. If she had been honest she might've ran into a hug, but instead she settled for a wide grin.

“Ya I did.” Whatever means of celebration that Janna was going to express ended with her nearly busting her face on the ground. She caught herself, pressing against the rock to just descended from and tried to play it off by casually leaning against it. “No big deal right.”

“Now we can get to the hard part.” Jackie moved.

Janna could only groan, “Thomas are you trying to kill me?” She usually enjoyed a bit of thrill but this was a little bit much.

Jackie moved swiftly her feet barely disturbing the water as she traveled to the edge of the pond, bent down a plucked a single yellow and purple flower. “What we came for.”

She held the stem gently with one hand and with the other displayed it like a fine piece of jewelry. “I forgot what they're called, but to the mewman, it's a beautiful flower, representing love and respect. Like a rose, you’re suppose to give it to someone you care deeply about.”

She wiggled her eyebrows, immediately killing any mysticism that she had built up. Jackie slide across and passed it slowly to her best friend.

“Jackie, you really going all out.” Janna didn’t really know what to say. She just thought they were going to bum around for a couple hours. It was safe to assume she hadn’t expected any of this. “Is this part of what diamonds do, give each other flowers?”

“No.” Jackie mouth mimicked an O shape before she answered, “This isn't from me to you. It's from you to her.” She clarified and before any questions about who ‘she’ was, the girl with green eyes slipped out her cellphone and leaned into it. “Hey Marco, we're ready.”

The clearing was illuminated. Jackie used the dimensional scissors to cut a hole on the other side of herself. Janna didn't know who it was at first, but if she was being honest she didn't think it could be anyone but one particular person.

“Janna.” Star smiled brightly. Janna would've given the blonde her own usual smirk, but her first reaction was to shove the flower behind her back. She took a step back, like was being corner all over again.

Star didn't even notice, she burst through the girl's personal bubble like a bullet. “I'm liking the new look.” She said, her face about a centimeter away from Janna’s.

“Right.” Janna had almost forgot about her new look and having Star see her all bright and pink cause her cheeks to also glow bright and pink.

“So what are we doing?” Star tilted her head.

“I’m gonna be right back.” Jackie excused herself, pointing to the still open gap in time and space.  
“I just got to talk with Marco for a little bit.”

“Ya ya.” Star muttered and swatted the air in Jackie's general direction like you would a fly, “Take your time.”

Jackie rolled her eyes before she stepped through. She wasn't going to complain, the two needed their alone time.

 

 

This was a woosh over Jackie's body signalling the melting of space washing over her as she entered the Diaz living room. She stopped when her chest collided with something soft.

“Whoops.” Marco stood a bit closer to the portal than she had anticipated. He held her sides, steadying her. “So,” he drew her attention “Everything went exactly as planned?”

“Well, Janna's new wardrobe was a surprise.” Jackie saw the smile on Marco's face. It was hard not to imitate it.

“Oh did she freak.” He grew excited, “She freaked didn't she? Marco one.”

“Janna one billion,” Jackie finished for him, much to his sudden disappointment. He whined and tried to put on his most hurt expression. It wasn't very effective. She ended finding it more adorable than anything. “Don’t worry,” she cooed “You're catch up.”

She went in for a kiss. Her lips were about a thin sheet of paper away when she got the feeling she had been forgetting something. She realized what it was, “Oh right, me and Janna got attacked by some tigers. Well magic tigers, anyway.”

“What?” Marco eyes looked like they were gonna fly out of their sockets and bean Jackie right in the forehead. “Are you okay?”

“Ya, we're fine.” Jackie nodded.

“Why didn’t you warp back here with the scissors?”

“Okay, well here's the thing.” Jackie rummaged for an explanation. Her face was not too different than one would make while pulling off a bandage. “I kind of forgot that I could do that.”

“You forgot?” Marco repeated.

Jackie playfully pushed him. “It's fine. Janna took care of them. You better watch out she some real fire power now. Literal.” She smiled at the tiny joke.

“You know when I got that book for you I wasn't planning on you having to used it.” He had been reluctant to grab it, but he thought better safe than sorry. It wasn't often he went to questbuy anyway.

“Ya, sorry.” She said, putting on a tiny pout to let her boyfriend know she was really apologetic. She was surprised when he responded with giggles. “What?”

“You forgot.” Marco repeated between laughs. It started to sound hysterical. “Like I should be panicking right now about how dangerous that was but also-” He didn't have it in him to continue to link coherent sentences.

“Marco.” Jackie gave him a look.

He decided that he had to wrap it up. Wiping an imaginary tear from his eye, he said “I'm sorry, just never knew you could be forgetful.”

“Nah, it's fine” Jackie relaxed, “but could you do me a favor and maybe not mention this to Star?”

“Why Star?” An eybrow was raised, “Not like she would judge you or anything. She’s forgotten a few things on a couple of adventures.”

“I bet she has.” Jackie muttered a bit too loudly to hide what she was saying to Marco. “But still, not a word to the princess.”

Marco paused. It was like his mind had just hiccuped, “Hey Jackie, is everything cool between you and Star?”

“Ya, it's just.” Jackie started, but she ultimately decided against it, “Everything is cool.”

Marco looked like he wanted to say something, but whatever it had been he put that to the side. Instead when a third person entered or rather reentered the room, he greeted them “Star, you're back.”

“I'm gonna be upstairs.” She had made an exact right angle. She raced away with only a quick, “In my room” as an afterthought.

Jackie and Marco exchanged works and the hoodie wearing kid announced what both of them were thinking. “That was weird.”

Another body dipped through the portal.

“Janna?” Jackie asked.

“Hey.” Janna said and Jackie had to give it to her. Only Janna could’ve said that with such a straight and even voice while also looking like she was on the edge of tears.

“So how did it go?” Jackie than immediately cursed under her breath cause all evidence pointed at the opposite of what she hoped.

“It-” Janna began, “We just talk a bit. Things happened. It's cool.” She slumped. The girl laughed bitterly. She turned away from the two, hands in her pocket. She to repeat herself either to convince her friend or convince herself. “It's cool. I'm gonna go home, if that's okay with you. My stomach doesn’t feel so good.”

“Janna, you want a ride back to your place? We still have the scissors.” Jackie asked but that just caused the girl to hurry her pace and soon she was out the door.

“Marco.” Jackie frown. She turned her head roboticly towards the boy.

Diaz blinked. “Ya?”

“What did the princess do?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So looking back might've bit myself in the butt. Originally I planned to writ a small scene in the end of the last chapter to foreshadow into this one where Jackie and Marco return to school and find Star and Janna, hanging out being cute.
> 
> Than I got lazy and didn't. Seeing that the conflict of the next chapter relies on the ending of this chapter I might end up gliding into "tell instead of showing" territory, which is bad.
> 
> Tried to balance it a little bit with Jackie's reaction at the end. Before I had her straight up pissed before dialing it back.
> 
> Anyway next chapter is Jackie/Star.


End file.
